NFL

The Bucs are in the middle of a tailspin, having lost six of their past seven games. A loss to the Dolphins today, plus a Panthers win, would knock them out of the playoffs entirely. Otherwise, they will face the Panthers in Week 18 with the NFC South title and a playoff berth on the line. Missing the playoffs after starting 6-2 would be a fireable offense for plenty of coaches around the league. That doesn’t appear to be the case with Bowles. The Bucs have won the NFC South in all three of his seasons as the team’s boss. More importantly, Rapoport points out that Bowles signed a three-year extension with Tampa Bay before the season. The team’s financial ties to Bowles all but guarantee they will keep him around for at least one more year, regardless of how the current season ends.

The same is true of Olamide Zaccheaus, who is also dealing with an illness. It certainly seems like something is going around the Bears’ locker room. Players tend to play through illnesses, and the Bears are taking on the 49ers in a game that has massive implications for the No. 1 seed in the NFC. We expect both players to play, but fantasy managers will want to have a backup plan in place. Luther Burden would be in line for a sizable uptick in targets if one or both of Moore and Zaccheaus are ruled out.

“While two sides still discussing, people close to Ryan say he’s seriously considering this move and talks are ongoing,” Glazer reports. He adds it would be a “significant role.” It’s become clear the Falcons could use a shakeup of some sort, though this would be a particularly risky one. 40-year-old Ryan has zero coaching or front-office experience. It would be a “very Falcons” gamble, but not one necessarily doomed to fail. Stay tuned.

The Steelers can win the AFC North today with a victory over the Browns. That would lock them in as the No. 4 seed in the AFC. It would also make their Week 18 date with the Ravens meaningless, and the Steelers would obviously choose to hold him out for that contest. If they lose today, Watt would seemingly be on the field for an AFC North title match versus Baltimore.

With DK Metcalf also suspended for this one, the Steelers will need to lean heavily on their tight ends in the pass-catching game, while Adam Thielen and Marquez Valdes-Scantling could also see an uptick in targets. Watt was ruled out before the weekend but was able to practice in a limited capacity this week. Watt should have a good shot at returning in Week 18 against the Ravens.

Cross has not played since Week 15 as the Seahawks look to get his hamstring injury right ahead of the postseason.

The Bucs declared Wirfs out with a toe injury; they will likely lean on Graham Barton to shift over to left tackle in Wirfs’ absence. Also out is Anthony Nelson (knee), who did not practice this week. Sterling Shepard is a healthy scratch with the Bucs’ receiving group now fully healthy.

The Titans only had two players listed as questionable heading into the weekend: outside linebacker Ali Gaye and cornerback Micah Robinson. Both players are active for Week 17.

Those with the luxury of playing a similar receiver will likely want to do so as McMillan was added to the injury report with an illness on Sunday and the Seahawks defense wasn’t exactly an enticing matchup anyway, but most fantasy managers will probably be sticking with a sick McMillan. Hopefully he winds up being sick (complimentary) against Seattle today. Inactive for the Panthers are: DT Tershawn Wharton (hamstring), WR Hunter Renfrow, S Demani Richardson, DT Jared Harrison-Hunte and TE James Mitchell.

It was reported earlier that Fannin was expected to play after he was added to Friday’s injury report due to a groin injury. The rookie tight end has been a focal point of the Browns’ passing game for much of the season and has averaged 8.4 targets per game in during Shedeur Sanders’ time as a starter. Fantasy managers can lock him in as their TE1 for championship week.